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"They were cute at first," said Carl White, director of City Parks and Recreation. "They're still cute, but they need to be contained."

The burrowing animals live in complex underground tunnels, the openings of which can be missed by people walking or running. Several have appeared in the dirt parking lot and along the edges of Mary E. Lee Road. White is concerned the burrows will lead to accidental injuries, property damage and health issues.

"The prairie dogs are almost to the beach. They're in the grassy area parallel to the beach," White said. "If they continue unchecked they'll take over all of the park and spread to the residential area."

Prairie dogs congregate near the opening of their burrow at Mary E Lee Road near the San Angelo Nature Center. (Photo: Yfat Yossifor)

The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board is meeting Thursday, May 25, to look at possible solutions. Some ideas under consideration include:

trapping and relocating the animals

poisoning them to kill the colony

a combination of the above options

doing nothing

following the example of Lubbock and Abilene and creating a contained prairie dog park — with walls that go several feet underground — as a tourist attraction.

The prairie dog colony comes from escapees of the adjacent San Angelo Nature Center, 7409 Knickerbocker Road, which houses a collection of animals native to the Southwest. A walled space was built toward the back of the center, but it didn't go deep enough underground, White said.

Prairie dogs are social, prolific animals that enjoy living in groups. While they are hard to count, he estimated there are about 500 in the park colony.

5 Facts About Prairie Dog

Prairie dogs belong to the Sciuridae (squirrel) family. Their other biological relatives include groundhogs, chipmunks, marmots and woodchucks.